Our Mission:

1) To make farming fun by creating connections between consumers and producers
2) To contribute to the spread of tea culture by introducing Japanese tea and providing advice to other farmers around the world

We Started From a Single Cup of Tea

Over 15 years ago, our president and founder, Akihiro “Akky” Kita, visited Wazuka, Kyoto. The tea produced in this rural district is known as Ujicha, one of the highest quality, premium teas in Japan. Akky was a college student in search of his life’s calling. Inspired by a single cup of Ujicha drunk at its source, Akihiro’s passion for green tea was born. After fifteen years of learning to master the art of growing premium tea leaves from master tea farmers in Wazuka, Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations was born. The name Obubu itself comes from the slang of Kyoto and means tea.

We hope to extend this family beyond Japan’s shores as we seek to educate the world about quality Japanese green tea, to promote both the traditional and contemporary culture of drinking green tea, and to aid other tea farmers as they seek to establish tea plantations in their respective countries and regions.

About Our Tea

Based upon techniques used to grow and process tea in Kyoto, Japan, our plantations produce more than sixteen different types of premium Ujicha green tea including Kabuse Sencha, Kaze no Sencha, Houjicha, Genmaicha and other varieties. Kabuse Sencha and Kaze no Sencha, in particular, are extraordinary green teas with unique flavors and leaves that can be eaten with a dash of soy sauce after brewing. Our teas are aracha, or what we like to call “single malt” — whole leaves from a single field and harvest before they are sorted and blended.

About Our Team

Our team is a small one made up of our president Akihiro Kita, VP and sales manager Yasuharu Matsumoto, shipping manager Kayo Takeuchi, a few staff and partners both in Kyoto and around the world (including our overseas marketing partner Ian Chun). Our small scale allows us to emphasize long-lasting, meaningful relationships with our clients and customers creating a family of tea enthusiasts.

Akihiro Kita, President / Founder / Farmer
Osamu Ueda, Farmer
Yasuharu Matsumoto, Vice President / Sales Manager / Farmer
Kayo Takeuchi, Shipping Manager
Kaori Matsumoto, Japanese PR / Website staff
Ian Chun, English / Overseas Marketing Partner (with his team at Matcha Latte Media)